Liberty Industrial carries out explosive demolition of Clyde Refinery infrastructure
A 65 metre tall, 1,500 tonne structure previously used in the refining process has been demolished using controlled explosive techniques.
Liberty Industrial demolished the unit as part of the Clyde Terminal Conversion Project which involves demolishing and remove redundant refining infrastructure, as well as other works to improve the environmental and operational performance of the Terminal. Liberty Industrial’s team has been systematically removing redundant infrastructure at the former Clyde Refinery in Rosehill, NSW since January.
In the lead up to this demolition event, weeks of meticulous planning and consultation was undertaken by the project management team, working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Planning and WorkCover NSW.
Using state of the art risk mitigation technology, Extreme Loading for Structures demolition simulation software, the team were able to demonstrate to key stakeholders how the structure would react prior to executing the task.
Explosives were used to fragment four of the structure’s seven reinforced concrete foundations and forcing the structure to hinge over the remaining supports, collapsing the structure as planned.
Protection measures were employed to reduce the disbursement of debris caused by the explosive charges. Measures included both at source and secondary protection in the form of conveyor belting, chain link fencing and geotextile preventing damage to nearby facilities.
Comprehensive planning, careful engineering and precise preparation delivered a successful outcome for Liberty Industrial’s project team, with the structure safely grounded in a matter of seconds.
Project Manager, David Wall, said the success of this latest Induced collapse is a credit to the whole team.
“Everyone played their part, from the oxy cutters who methodically carried out the structural pre- weakening to the explosives specialists – it’s a pleasure to work with such committed and professional individuals” he said.
Planning and preparations are under way for future, controlled explosive demolition events.
Clyde Refinery Reactor & Stripper Structure Demolition from Liberty Industrial on Vimeo.
